


Little Fangs

by SansyFresh



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell, Angst, Babybones (Undertale), Dadby, Fluff, Gen, Graphic Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Near Death Experiences, Older Brother Papyrus, Violence, Younger Brother Sans, alcohol consumption
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-05-09 05:05:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14709629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SansyFresh/pseuds/SansyFresh
Summary: A tale of the past, a tale of the present, both intertwined to tell the tale of two brothers.A dadby babybones fic set in Underfell, of all places.





	1. Escape

**Author's Note:**

> So this is pretty much just my take on something that's been done over and over again, only with the edgy thought of "What if it was Underfell?" So its a lot of Fell brothers backstory, along with their life now as adults.

Stomping his boots on the doorstep, Papyrus knocked the packed snow away as he opened the door, stepping inside with a sigh of relief. It’d been a long day, full of absent guardsmen and miscreants attempting to make his life more of a hell than it was already. There was a pair of ratty sneakers next to the door, Papyrus’ scowl softening at the sight of them. Slipping out of his boots and armor, he set it to the side, picking up his boots and placing them neatly against the wall beside his brother’s.

 

There was a low scent of garlic and tomatoes coming from the kitchen, Papyrus glancing at the empty living room before padding to the kitchen. He couldn’t help the snort that left him as he found Sans, head laying on the kitchen table, snoring away. He didn’t doubt there would be a drool stain there later.

 

On the center of the table was a plate of lasagna and a piece of garlic bread. He could tell just by looking at it that it was store bought, the cheese barely melted and crumbly, the color simply off. But knowing that his brother had gone through the effort to make him dinner… A soft smile on his face, Papyrus stepped to the table, picking his brother up carefully and cradling him to his chest before heading back into living room.

 

It reminded him of the old days, holding his brother like this. Of darker days, days long past best forgotten. Days filled with cold, pain, hunger and sorrow. Of wet tunnels and blue flowers, monsters (kids) challenging him at every turn, and then snow, white and bright and chilling.

 

Shaking his head, Papyrus moved up the steps, subconsciously avoiding the left side of the third stair. There was a close warmth to Sans’ room, the heat almost too much as he opened the door, though he moved inside regardless. His brother had always preferred to be overly warm than cold. Slowly laying Sans on the bare mattress, he gathered up the comforter bundled at the bottom and spread it over him.

 

They’d come far from then. Nothing worth reflecting on. Leaning down, he left a kiss on Sans’ skull. No one could touch them. Not anymore.

 

Leaving the room, he slowly shut the door behind him before heading back for the stairs. No sense in wasting his brother’s efforts...even if the lasagna did not look fully cooked.

  
  
  
  


_ Twenty-five Years Before... _

 

He ran, faster than he’d ever run before, faster even than the day they left. He could hear the pounding footsteps behind him, the clanking of metal on metal close enough for the sound to be jarring to his overworked senses. The bundle in his arms squirmed lightly, just enough for him to worry that his little brother was waking up. He couldn’t deal with Sans squirming around, not now. Not when he was finally nearing the crack in the wall that meant their freedom.

 

Picking up speed, he forced himself to move faster, more efficiently, pushing himself past his thresholds of pain. Around this corner, over this trash, past this fence, and the crack was in sight. He let out a breath and pushed himself just a little harder, ignoring the shouts for him to stop, ignoring the magic gearing up behind him. One moment he was in the dank alley way, the next he was through the crack, the hole it lead to just large enough for him to crawl through. There was no way they would be able to follow him, and he doubted they knew where it lead.

 

They were free.

 

~.~

 

He crawled for a while, just long enough and a little farther to no longer hear any of the yelling or movement from the other side of the tunnel. Sans was really truly wriggling now, clearly uncomfortable with being pressed so firmly against his chest. He would shift to make carrying him a little easier, but the tunnel was still too narrow. Instead he sat against the wall as well as he was able, fangs grinding as sharp rocks stuck into his spine. Settling back, he ignored the ache in his bones as he took the bundle that was Sans and laid him out on the relatively soft dirt floor, unwrapping the cloth to reveal a tiny, squirming babybones. Sans stared up at him with tiny white eyelights, itty bitty fangs gnashing in the open air. 

 

The good thing about Sans was that, even when he was hungry, even when he bumped his tiny bones against hard walls or stone, he never cried. Little tiny tears would sometimes fall, but the most noise he would make was tiny huffs of air that were honestly pretty cute.

 

Large, round sockets peered up at him, little brows furrowed as Sans’ arms waved around, legs kicking aimlessly. 

 

Papyrus smiled softly down at him. “Hungry brother? Or thirsty maybe?” His voice was still ragged from all the running and dodging. Digging through his inventory, he brought out the small loaf of bread and bottle of milk he’d pilfered a day or so ago. He still wondered if the merchant he'd stolen it from had ever figured out why there had been a random pile of empty milk bottles on his floor. Sitting his brother up, he brought the rim of the bottle to his teeth, letting him drink from it until he pushed at it with his little hands, smacking the glass with tiny tinks of sound. Still smiling, he tore apart the bread, wishing not for the first time that it was a little softer as he placed the tiny, tiny piece in Sans’ mouth. 

 

Piece after piece was placed between tiny fangs, the little pinpricks of white gazing around aimlessly, sometimes settling on Papyrus’ face just long enough for a wrinkle of a grin to overtake Sans’ expression before he was distracted again. Papyrus didn’t mind; seeing his brother smile made all of it worth it. 

 

Once a fourth of the bread was gone Papyrus put it away, tucking the cloth back around Sans before pulling him to his chest. Settling on the floor of the tunnel, he curled around his brother, closing his eyes and listening to the small, even breaths from Sans as the two of them fell asleep.


	2. The Dump

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter of this goodness, hopefully I'll be able to start updating it more often, been having kinda a slow season lol

The end of the dirt tunnel lead to nothing but larger, wetter tunnels. The dirt turned to mud, the air so much cooler than where they had been that Papyrus shivered, his bones rattling in the darkness. The paths were lit only by crystals embedded in the walls, and those only lit enough to not trip over the fallen rocks that littered the ground. Every spare piece of cloth he’d found was used to wrap up Sans, the thought of his baby brother shivering and feeling the cold like he was almost too much to bear.

 

He continued moving forward, unwilling to stay in one place for very long. The few monsters he passed didn’t care about a tiny kid like him, even less about the babybones he carried; he counted himself grateful they didn’t try to stop him. They all seemed to care more about getting through to wherever they were going, most of them carrying some kind of bag or satchel that bulged with mysterious items.

 

There were a few other kids he passed, the lot of them glaring at him from where they perched on overturned stones and crags in the walls. He ignored them, hoping that if he didn’t seem challenging, they wouldn’t try anything. It seemed to work, as they just watched him as he passed by, though a few kept watching as he disappeared further down the tunnels. 

 

Finally the walls started to open up, until he stood at the edge of a vast cavern, mounds and mounds of what seemed to be trash spreading out as far as he could see. There was a steep path further down into the piles, leading to what looked like a network of paths, wrapping drastically around each mound. Gripping his baby brother tightly, he carefully picked his way down the path, eyeing potential footfalls with equal weight before making a step. Sans gurgled quietly in his arms, his weight was so inconsequential that Papyrus held him close, almost afraid he’d slip from his arms and tumble down the cliffside. 

 

When he’d made it to the bottom level, he made his way past the first few mounds, neck aching as he craned it back to see the tops, though now that he was down here he couldn’t, fog obscuring them. There were patches of the path that were submerged in cold, gross water, Papyrus absently holding his breath and holding Sans high above his head in the places where it was up to his chest. He had no idea what he would do if Sans got wet and sick or, Angel forbid, actually fell in. 

 

He tried very hard to not think about Sans getting sick, with his already poor health. Defective, that’s what they’d called him. His baby brother was not defective, just frail. It didn’t matter either way because Papyrus wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

 

There was what looked to be stocks of food, randomly strewn about. He was afraid to touch any of it at first, afraid that whoever’s food it was would come and attack him when he wasn’t ready for it. He had to always be ready, always prepared. He couldn’t let anything happen to Sans. But, after finding what seemed like unopened packages of food, cans and plastic wrapping of vegetables and meat substitute, he began taking some. Not a lot, not every bit of it, but one or two items from each cache. 

 

He would soon run out of the bread and milk he’d pilfered from the city. And he couldn’t rely on there being anymore food sources in this strange place. So he took, and carefully stored what he took in his bag until it bulged like the bags of the monsters in the tunnels. Maybe they’d been here? There were other things in the mounds, paper trash and electronic things with wires poking out, pieces of cloth and whole, but torn pieces of clothing. 

 

He did grab a few of these, hoping that if he was able to find a decent, safe enough place to spend a few hours, he could make some kind of bedding for his brother. Lying on the cold ground was uncomfortable just for him, though he made do. He couldn’t imagine it being very comfy as a baby with such soft bones. 

 

Sans began squirming after another hour of walking, making his way past dark hollows in the mounds and walls. “Hungry again brother?” Papyrus whispered, rocking Sans lightly in his arms. He wished he could find someplace warmer, some place he could block out the small drops of water that seemed to fall from the ceiling high above. Instead he settled for a large brown box he found half buried in one of the mounds, a small bug skittering out as he pulled it free. It was large enough to hide the both of them, and far enough out that he felt comfortable leaving it somewhat in the open. 

 

Carefully setting Sans down, he gave him milk, fed him, the carefully made him a bed to lay on as he slept. Really, Sans did little more than sleep anyways, but after eating he was always tired, so Papyrus knew to let him rest a while before their next walking. 

 

He ate a few bites himself, what was left of the bread now gone. Sighing, he replaced the milk, making certain the cap was on tight as he closed up his bag. He wanted to keep moving, get as far away from the labs as they could possibly get. But Sans needed these breaks, so he took them. There would be no sleeping for him, not when they were this out in the open. He had to be ready, vigilant. The Doctor would be looking for them, likely wouldn’t stop until he found them. And there were other monsters around, monsters that seemed to come here for supplies, maybe even some that lived here. 

 

Settling in beside his brother, Papyrus carefully watched the open end of the box. It would be a long few hours, but he was willing to do it. He didn’t have a choice.

 


	3. Tooth and Bone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter!!!

More than one monster made their way out past his little outpost, but none of them seemed interested enough in a saggy old box to check it. Papyrus found himself thankful for that fact, his bones going rigid every time he heard shuffling footsteps come near, the sound of someone rummaging through the trash around the box almost deafening. Then, after a long moment of silence, the shuffling would move off, eventually disappearing under the faint rush of far off water.

 

They’d stayed in the box for a few days, three full nights by his count. It was hard to really tell the passage of time in a place only lit by far off crystals, but he was sure it’d been at least three. He’d found a little more food just by searching around their small camp; perhaps the absence of any food was what caused the other monsters to move on. What he couldn’t fit in his pack he buried in the back of the box, covering it all in pieces of torn, dirty cloth he’d pilfered. But as the day grew longer, he felt that nagging sense deep in his soul, telling him it was time to move on. 

 

He wanted to ignore it. This seemed like a decent enough place to hide for a while, and they had enough food to last for months if he was careful with it. But the feeling remained, digging at the inside of his sternum, itching the sides of his soul. It didn’t go away, no matter what he did, no matter how he rubbed at his sternum and tried to think of anything else.

 

They felt to close, still. Still within His reach. They had to move on, try to go as far as the caverns would allow them to. And if there was nothing for them in the end? He’d come right back here and stake his claim, no matter who showed up to try and take it from him.

 

Shifting where he sat against the wall of the box, he watched fondly as Sans squirmed, eyelights large and bright in his relatively huge sockets as he tried to kick his wrap off. Chuckling, Papyrus reached forward and undid the soft cloth, laying it out flat around the babybones.

 

“Well, brother? What are you going to do now?” he asked, raising a brow as Sans’ legs kicked fiercely, now free from their cloth prison. Sans’ brows furrowed, his face scrunching up as he did his very best to squirm a few inches to the right, arms flailing. The movement seemed to have taken what little energy he had, as he finally rested, staring around thoughtfully. Papyrus watched, amused, before the sudden rustle of nearby trash had him perking up, magic flaring to his eyelights.

 

There was silence for a moment...then, “C’mon out kid, we know you’re in there.”

 

It was one of the other kids, undoubtedly more waiting for him to leave the safety of the box. He glanced down to Sans, the little guy staring noiselessly at the wall of the box. 

 

“If you don’t come out we’ll set fire to the box.”

 

An empty threat if he ever heard one, everything here was soaked with the water that seemed to imbue anything with its moisture. Still, it would be better to deal with them now before they started trying to break the box down and something fell and crushed Sans. Pushing his baby brother far against the wall, he covered him back up with a few protective layers before moving to the opening.

 

Pausing, he listened. Breathing directly to the right, as well as the left. The rustle of shuffling feet to the back of the box. Three kids, each of them likely more bark than bite, likely not much older or younger than himself. Taking a breath, he closed his eyes, prepared his magic, and jumped out of the box. There were startled cries of pain as several bones shot out, knocking the three of them off their feet and into the water and trash. 

 

He opened his eyes and took stock of his catch. The two on the ground were fighting furiously against the bones that pinned them down, the one above seemingly knocked out. They must have hitten their head on the way down. His eyes narrowing, Papyrus moved to the one that had spoken, his eyelights flashing dangerously.

 

“How did you find me.” It was a simple question, he thought. Easy enough for them to understand. The only answer he received, however, was enraged snarling and more fighting against the bones. Sighing, he conjured a blue bone, the thing small and seemingly harmless even as it phased through the kid’s calf. 

 

Rolling his eyelights as the kid howled in pain, he crossed his arms. “It’ll stop hurting if you don’t move.”

 

It took a moment, but eventually the kid realized he was right and stopped trying to fight their way out, instead laying there and staring up at Papyrus, angry tears in their eyes. 

 

“Now, I’ll ask again. How did you find me.”

 

They continued glaring for a moment before, finally, they spat to the side. “It’s not that hard to track you, the baby stinks.” 

  
Papyrus glared, indignation filling him at the jab against his brother, but rather than kick them while he had them down, he removed the bones, letting the kid scramble to their feet, limping a bit even as they tried to tackle him. Raising his hand, their soul turned blue, body lifting in the air against their will. With a flippant toss of the hand they went crashing into the pile of trash, yelping in pain even as he lifted them again. Bringing them close, he got in their face. 

 

“If you come near me or my brother again, I will not hesitate to dust you, do I make myself clear?” He waited for them to nod, fearfully crying, before he tossed them further down the path. Letting the other up, he watched, magic still active as they picked up their still knocked out accomplice and ran off, disappearing into the far off fog. 

 

Huffing, he watched, carefully making sure they didn’t attempt to double back, before he hurriedly climbed into the box and began packing up whatever he could fit in the bag. They would be angry, once they’d cleaned their wounds, and would likely come back with reinforcements. He had to get Sans out of here before they came back, had to get far away.

 

Once he had the pack secure around his shoulders, he wrapped Sans up, smiling a little as the little guy huddled into his chest away from the chill, and headed out.


	4. Moss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooo next chapter XD With a little cameo by everyone's favorite turtle monster XD

The caverns grew smaller the farther he traveled, though they were no less uncomfortably wet. It was a constant battle keeping his baby brother warm and dry, the very atmosphere fighting against him. Every time he heard someone behind or before them and headed in their direction, he would stop and find a hiding spot among the crags in the wall, or in an offshooting tunnel. There was no telling what the monsters here were like, no guarantee that they would leave free XP alone, even if he was a child. He was not small, not like his brother, so they might not hold back. 

 

There were a few monsters that howled in the darkness, froth dripping from their lips as they hunted the ones not smart enough to hide their scents in the water. He stayed far from those. 

 

The flowers provided light, along with the stones that were set deep in the cave walls. He found one that had fallen, laying in the wet dirt against one of the flower stalks. Sans seemed to like it, and it kept him quiet enough even if the soft light was a bit of a giveaway in the darker spots, so he kept it.

 

There were fewer monsters here, most of the ones he’d seen scavenging the trash hills or living in the huge city, buildings made of stone and plaster and stinking like garbage. At least here everything smelt clean. Washing his brother up after meals was a lot easier said than done, though, as the water was cold and Sans wasn’t having it. Still, the farther they went, the cooler it became. 

 

He took careful steps, the ground beneath his feet soft and easy to slide on as the mud squished between his bare phalanges. Sans was quiet in his arms, looking around the dim cave around them with wide sockets, sucking on the end of the stone. Shifting him from one arm to the other, Papyrus eyed the dubious looking bridge over a gap of water they needed to cross. Normally he would simply walk through the small river, at the risk of getting his own clothing wet, rather than risking the damp, rotting wood and falling in with his brother.

 

This river, however, seemed to be a bit stronger than he was sure he wanted to risk. The water flowed heavy, splashing up against the banks and making clumps of mud and grass break off, moving down with the flow into the darkness. If he was to slip on the mud, as he’d done in the past, the current would carry both he and his brother off a cliff and to their deaths. 

 

Carefully checking both the tunnels behind and before them, Papyrus moved a bit closer to inspect the bridge. The boards looked intact, not rotten or splintered from what he could see, and that was a surprise in and of itself. Deciding to take a risk, he carefully bundled Sans close to his chest, and with great hesitance, stepped out onto the bridge. 

 

The boards creaked under his negligible weight, his sockets tightly closed for a second before he made his way across as quickly as he was able. The water from the river splashed up on his toes, the slick nature of the wood making him grateful he’d found some cloth the bind the bones with. Just on their own, his feet would have slid right off and they would be dust. There was little patches of moss growing on the wood in some places, the spongy material feeling strange to his bare phalanges as he passed by. 

 

Soon enough they were on the other side, the knot in his belly fading as he looked back and let himself believe that they were safe. Well, as safe as they could be still out in the open. Checking on his little brother once again, he grinned as he saw Sans snoozing away in the safety of his blankets. Adjusting the strap of his pack on his shoulder, he took off once more, determined to find a safe place to sleep by the time the crystals began to lose their glow.

 

Avoiding a few more monsters and fighting off a nearly rabid moldsmal, Papyrus finally stopped in a larger room that seemed to have a few offshoots. The more tunnels there were, the easier he would be able to get away. Settling down by the doorway of one so he could hear if anything was coming, he laid Sans down, digging him out some milk and a small piece of orange vegetable, one of the last from one of the cans he’d found. 

 

Sans drank greedily, draining nearly half the bottle before he was finished. Papyrus decided to give him the last of it later, Sans needed it more than he did. After it was empty he would fill it with water. Feeding his baby brother the pieces of mashed orange vegetable was a little more difficult, but soon enough most of it had been eaten and Sans was ready once again for a nap. Papyrus took the opportunity to eat something himself, looking longingly at the milk before he made himself put it away. Sans needed it much more than he did, and he would dust before he kept his brother from getting what he needed. 

 

A noise suddenly came from the passage behind him, a mild shuffle of sound, but before whoever it was could come out of the tunnel Papyrus was on his feet, standing between it and his brother, glowing bone in his hand and a snarl on his face. A shadow slowly approached, large and intimidating, before an old turtle slowly shuffled through the entrance. It’s ragged, beady eyes looked Papyrus over, then moved towards Sans, though they snapped back as Papyrus growled viciously. 

 

“I jus’ wanted ta make sure you youngin’s were alright out here.” His voice was surprisingly strong for how old he looked, the turtle’s weight pinning a cane in place. “Do ya need anything? Food? Water? Clothin’?” 

 

Papyrus kept his stance, though he lessened his scowl. He didn’t respond, even as the turtle tilted his head. 

 

“Nothin’? Suit yerself kiddo, but if that baby o’ yers needs somethin’, you’d better get yer ass back here quicker then a rabbid Temmie, ya hear?” With that the turtle disappeared back into the tunnel, Papyrus staying in place until the shuffling sounds of his walk could no longer be heard. Quickly packing their things up, Papyrus bundled up his brother and set off in the opposite direction as quickly as he dared.


	5. Snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woooo first chapter of the new year!!! lets hope i keep them coming lol
> 
> heavy topics in this one guys, lots of speculation about death

The farther Papyrus traveled through the tunnel, the colder it seemed to get. Or, at least, he assumed it did, as his breaths started to look like clouds leaving his mouth and his babybones brother started to tremble with each exhale. Terrified that  _ His  _ tests had left him without a way to make sure the air around them wasn’t too cold for his brother, Papyrus backtracked a few tunnels, until the strange clouds no longer came and Sans no longer shivered. He had to assume it would only become colder from here, colder than the water of the caverns had been. Colder than Sans could likely handle. 

 

He would never let the thought fully cross his mind, could never let it finish without feeling disgust for himself well up in his soul, but sometimes he wished Sans had been old enough to receive at least a little conditioning from  _ Him _ . Enough for the cold to not be an issue, at least. But the thought never finished and Sans was still a baby, so it didn’t matter either way.

 

Settling into a corner between a room and a tunnel, Papyrus took stock of what little food they had remaining. The milk was nearly gone, his rations all given to Sans when he realized how little was left. There were a few cans left of the mushy stuff, as well as an apple he’d found left, whole and untampered with just inside the lip of one of the tunnels. He suspected the old turtle had something to do with it, but since he could smell no poison, he kept it. Just in case they ran out of everything else before he found another place with trash to rummage through.

 

Sans was squirming in his blankets, clearly ready for his stomach time for the day. Papyrus listened carefully, straining out the faint noises of his brother’s frustrations to hear any movement in either of the tunnels leading out of the room. Once he was satisfied, he carefully unwrapped his brother, laying out his blanket and turning him on his stomach. Sans babbled quietly, clearly happy to be able to move around, arms and legs shifting over the folds of the blanket with little rustles of sound. 

 

Papyrus watched him with a grin. He was pleased he was able to learn how to care for his brother;  _ He  _ certainly hadn’t cared enough to try to help in any ways of development. The one kind labcoat had given him a book filled with tips and tricks about raising an infant, the little milestones that needed to be reached with passing age. He’d stayed up that whole night, committing what he could to memory by the light of the hall outside their cell.

 

The book had been taken away the next day and he’d never seen that labcoat again. 

 

But he remembered what was most important, and that was that when Sans wanted to move around, he needed to let him. Unless it was during a fight, that was obvious, but any time when it was safe, he needed to move to develop. Papyrus couldn’t hold him all the time, it would hurt him in the long run… and Papyrus would hurt himself before he’d willingly hurt his own baby brother. 

 

Which made his next choice very, very hard. Did he try to explore past the colder tunnels and find a safe, warm place with, or without Sans? The very thought of leaving him somewhere anyone could find him made Papyrus’ magic stand on end, but the thought of Sans getting hurt, or worse, made him feel just as bad. He could try to hollow out a hidden place in the wall, somewhere no one would ever think to look, but Sans could wake up and no one would be there to tell him to be quiet, or he would think he was alone forever and be afraid. Papyrus wouldn’t be there to comfort him, and if someone found and dusted him because he was crying, well… Papyrus would likely die trying to avenge him.

 

_ The lights were flashing, a loud, annoying sound blaring through the white halls as Papyrus ran through them. His magic quaked, limbs feeling on the verge of falling apart even as he pushed himself onwards. He had to get to Sans, had to see with his own eyes that no one had done anything to him in revenge for what he’d done to  _ **_Him_ ** _. Skidding around the final corner, Papyrus nearly wept in relief as the door to their cell came into view, the opening dark even with the bright red lights that flashed over head. _

 

_ “Sans!” he called out, desperately pulling his baby brother in his arms, ignoring the way everything groaned out in pain at the movement. Sans babbled at him thoughtlessly, patting at his face the way he always did when Papyrus returned from the testing too tired to properly talk to him. Glancing back at the door, Papyrus gathered his remaining strength, standing to his feet and checking both sides of the hall before taking the first of many steps towards where he knew the exit was. _

 

He’d taken Sans with him then, he wasn’t about to abandon him now. Glancing down and finding that Sans had grown weary, already blinking tiredly, he wrapped him back up in his blanket and all the extra cloth they had, as well as Papyrus’ own shredded jacket. He didn’t need it, and if it helped Sans stay warm, then like hell he was going to continue wearing it.

 

Taking a deep breath, Papyrus glanced down the tunnel that lead back to the falls once, then started back in the direction of the cold.

 

It grew progressively colder and colder, just like he knew it would. Sans hadn’t started shivering again, a good sign he had enough coverings to stay warm for now, though they would need to find shelter soon, as well as a source of food. Turning a final corner, Papyrus stared out into a sudden, bright opening, the light change almost drastic as he glared. There was a sudden crunch under his feet, the white stuff chill to the touch though it didn’t bother him much. There were trees, he could see, the green boughs laden with the white powder in heavy chunks, and before him was a well trodden path, leading to what he could only assume was a civilization.

 

Setting his jaw, Papyrus took the first of many steps into the new territory, his brother held close to his chest.


	6. Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's here boys ;;;;)
> 
> enjoy?

The cold was… oppressive. That was really the only word Papyrus could use to describe it to his brother, if Sans had been old enough to ask. He was lucky the first night, escaping the lights of town to find a small hollow in the forest where the white powder didn’t touch the ground, a shield of tree limbs making a kind of barrier between the rock ceiling far above and the cold, hard ground he’d made a nest of. He’d stayed close enough to town that he could smell the smoke from ovens and fires and hear the overall chatter of conversation, what little of it there was at least.

It didn’t feel safe to be too far from town, so deep into the dense forest.

It’d been three days since, his small search of the nearby town revealing small, mostly harmless monsters that wouldn’t mean much to his own power. Rabbits, a few dogs, and a few miscellaneous monsters that braved the cold weather with drink in their bellies from the local pub. Papyrus only knew what the pub was because of the sick scent of alcohol that seeped from the back door, mixed with thick grease and the smell of something fried. The smell of smoke came heavy from that place, making Papyrus wonder if a Flame lived there or not. He’d only seen a few during their brief stint in Hotland, not that they’d stayed there very long.

That morning, however, the cold fell down on him like a heavy, uncomfortable shower. He woke up curled in the warmest position his sleeping body had found, his extremities feeling numb and his entire body wrapped around Sans’, trying to shield him from the cold. Sitting up, Papyrus shook his limbs out, getting rid of the stiffness as well as he could before checking on his brother. 

Sans was curled in on himself as well, the intense cold that had moved in the night before getting through his multiple coverings and Papyrus’ tattered jacket. Worried, Papyrus gathered him in his arms, frowning at the near spastic trembling and rattling of Sans’ bones. Gently, he brought him close to his chest, letting his magic seep into his hands, warming them up a bit more than tolerable in an effort to get his baby brother warm again.

Soon the rattling settled, Papyrus ignoring the way his soul stuttered in his chest. The whole time Papyrus had been holding him, Sans hadn’t woken up. His sockets remained shut, his mouth slightly open as tiny, rattling breaths escaped him. Papyrus squinted through a check, his fear only slightly abated as his baby brother’s HP was holding steady at its usual 5. Still though, even through the invasive feeling of a check, one that his brother usually hated and cried after, Sans still didn’t wake up.

Touching his face with the very tips of his fingers, Papyrus hissed as he felt just how cold his brother had become, his voice trembling as he spoke. “C’mon, brother, it’s time to wake up.” There was no response. Papyrus waited patiently, gently jostling Sans in his arms as he continued to ask him to wake up. 

“I can get you some milk, brother, maybe something to eat? I know we haven’t eaten super well in the last couple days but I can put something together, you just gotta wake up.” Papyrus looked eagerly into his brother’s face, only to find nothing, no sign that Sans was going to wake up.  

Suddenly, he jerked to attention, his attention torn from Sans as he realized someone had come close to their little hollow, the sound of crunching footsteps coming from just outside. Moving as quickly but as quietly as possible, Papyrus covered Sans up and put him underneath of his own body, hiding him from sight. Silently, he watched through the needles as what looked like what must have been the Flame from the pub moved carefully around their hovel, stopping every few feet and glancing around.

He was listening for them, Papyrus realized, the purple hued Flame tilting what made up his head toward their hollow. There was a long moment of the intruder moving carefully, slowly around the perimeter of their small hideout, before he finally stopped right in front of the entrance. Papyrus waited with baited breath, but the Flame didn’t try to come in, didn’t start burning the forest down. He simply waited, hands at his sides, fire popping and sparking off the top of his head. 

After another long moment of silence, Papyrus waiting for the worst, the Flame spoke.

“I know you’re in there, kid. Just come out and I won’t get the guard out here. They won’t be near as nice as me.” His voice was rough, crackly like the fires lit around the town. Papyrus didn’t trust it for a minute. He stayed unmoving, praying to whoever would listen that his baby brother stayed quiet long enough for him to take care of the threat.

“C’mon, kid, don’t make me come in there and get you, I’d rather just get you and that baby of yours out of the damn cold.” He paused, then, “You really don’t want the scavengers to just happen up on you out here. They’ll kill you, and they’ll kill him too-”

Bones flew out of the hollow, the Flame cursing as he backed up, using fire to singe the bones to dust before they could skewer his torso. Papyrus was out of the hollow when he looked up, eyelights flaring with rage as he brought up a hand, turning the Flame’s soul blue. More bones flew with deadly accuracy, the Flame barely dodging most of them before a final one pierced his arm. Roaring, his fire growing and crackling angrily, the Flame slogged toward Papyrus, ignoring the growl of defiance and slew of bones that flew at him. Each was burned to ash, the Flame getting closer and closer until he could reach out and grab Papyrus’ wrist.

Papyrus thrashed, biting and clawing and screaming, but the intruder didn’t let loose, only held him still until he calmed down enough for him to look him in the eye.

“I am not going to hurt you, or the baby. I want to help.” He paused, taking in a deep breath before continuing. “I don’t even have to ask to know you don’t believe me, but I’m your best chance right now.”

Papyrus panted, staring up at him with a glare that’d melt the white powder around them, but finally nodded, once and final. The Flame grinned, tired but satisfied. 

“Good. Now go get your baby and lets get somewhere fucking warm.”


End file.
